ImaginAIR is a new competition created by the European Environment Agency (EEA), inviting participants to tell a story about Europe’s air in three pictures. Participants must submit three pictures and a short text which tell a story about air, choosing one of four themes: air and health; air and technology; air and nature; and air and cities. The competition is open to all citizens of EU Member States and several other countries which cooperate with the EEA. The submission deadline is 4th October.

EEA Press Release

Capture the invisible for the EEA photo story competition

The air we breathe may not be the most photogenic subject, but depicting an odourless, colourless gas is the challenge set out by ImaginAIR, a new competition created by the European Environment Agency (EEA) which invites participants to tell a story about Europe’s air in three pictures.

The competition is open to all citizens of European Union Member States and several other countries which cooperate with the EEA. Participants must submit three pictures and a short text which tell a story about air, choosing one of four themes: air and health; air and technology; air and nature; and air and cities.

Submissions open on 24 September, and the deadline is 4 October. Competition organisers will select a shortlist of photo stories, which will be open to a public vote before winners are announced on 15 November.

A €500 prize will be awarded to the winner of each photo story category, and an additional €500 Youth Prize will be awarded to the winning photo story entry from a participant aged between 18 and 24.

The EEA will use some of the photographs in future publications on air quality, including web pages and reports.

ImaginAIR aims to raise awareness of the importance of air quality. Many of the air pollutants which cause acid rain have been reduced over the last few years, although several pollutants which seriously affect health are still a problem in Europe, particularly in cities.

Participants could choose to tell a story which considers the positive or negative aspects of air pollution. For example, the natural world absorbs a lot of air pollution, but natural processes can also be a source of poor air quality. Another example is that technology has a dual role – our consumption of the newest technology leads to pollution, but technological developments have also allowed us to monitor and filter air pollution.

Other stories could tell how pollution has changed, show the health effects of air pollution, or depict an inspiring lifestyle which reduces air pollution. These are just a few ideas – indeed, the possibilities are as broad as the atmosphere.